Beneath the Dappled Wood
by Lex Tenou
Summary: Raven kom Trikru guards Abby kom Skaikru as she visits a new settlement after Skaikru has joined the coalition. Flashbacks are in italics. First story in the Manifest Gedanes series.


Should you need it, translations of the grounder words used in the story.

em pleni - enough!

kom Trikru - of the Tree People

Heda - The Commander, Lexa

Wanheda - Commander of Death, Clarke Griffin

nomon - mother

Nek - formerly Fredericksburg, Maryland. Named for the local nickname of Fredneck.

Polis - the capital of the Trikru territory. Formerly Baltimore.

Skaiprisa - Sky Princess, Clarke Griffin

gonasleng - American English

chof - thanks

splita - outsider

Skaikru - Sky People, those from the Ark

The trees arched overhead, their towering trunks of hundred year growth casting dappled softness over the detritus of the forest floor. A skittering ground creature dashed across the barely visible path, it's paws scrabbling against exposed shale as it darted into a barely hidden burrow. Behind it, booted feet crashed and stomped over the myriad fallen branches and low scrub that barely clung to life beneath the trees shade.

"Em pleni!" The relentless chatter of the woman beside her had not ceased since they had begun their trek. Raven kom Trikru pushed forward, steadfastly continuing to ignore the burn of dried blood pulling at her left side. "Your words are useless. We will not stop."

Abby Griffin scowled at the back of the tempestuous warrior who continued forward without pause. It hadn't taken long for her to diagnose the wound at the stubborn warrior's side as needing immediate attention - she'd been witness to it's reception.

 _The scent of blood hung heavy in the air, raised cries and raw clashing steel melding into the song of battle. The attack had sprung at the morning meal, the incoming warriors penetrating the small experimental settlement as though their defenses did not exist. Fires caught and rose from the tents around the camp as arrows dripping with fiery resin lodged in their canvas._

 _Raven had not paused to consider the situation. Her task, handed to her by Heda, was to protect the doctor, Wanheda's nomon. It was the task of the rest of the Trikru to repel the attack. Given the studied and deliberate encroachment, someone would give their blood for this attack. The coordination of the attack displayed far too much knowledge of what was in the village, not to mention whom. Filing away the information for later study, she drew her sword and sliced it across the neck and shoulder of a screaming warrior that had started to swing an axe at her knee. The heavy weapon dropped to the ground and she turned to catch Abby's eye. The woman's lips were drawn in a thin line and her weapon, a disturbingly efficient pistol, was already gripped in her hand, her medical kit slung across her back. They had, thankfully, already finished their breakfast and had been preparing to make their rounds of the village. She gave Raven a nod and they moved to the perimeter of the village._

 _They had almost made it when a hoarse, growling yell sounded from behind them. Raven spun to meet the threat, the broad flat blade slicing through the layers of her jacket and cutting into the soft flesh beneath her ribs. From the angle, it was probably lucky that she had turned. It would have likely split her back open. Her dagger spun in her hand and she gripped it firmly before thrusting it up beneath the jaw of the foul smelling coward. The tip of her dagger pierced deeply, erupting from the back of his neck. His entire body twitched and she yanked back on her dagger, withdrawing it with a sickly sucking noise that reminded her of when her sparring partner had pierced his lung during a practice bout._

 _The man's body fell to the ground, aided by a shove from Raven's boot. He did not move again._

Abby glared with increasing irritation at the infuriating woman she followed. "Will you at least tell me where we're going?"

Raven smirked, her hand raising slightly to indicate a gray misted gap between two trees in the distance. "There's a cave through there."

A quiet huff and she knew her words had placated some of the doctor's ire. Granted, the doctor was at least partially right - her side was distractingly painful, and she could probably do with some water.

Their trek had thankfully borne no signs that they were followed. It appeared that final attacker had been the only one to notice their stealing away. Raven's mouth thinned into a grim smile. They should be able to make their way easily to Nek and secure some horses to aid in returning to Polis with haste.

She reached a hand up and fisted it, drawing to a stop. Behind her, she head the stilling of the doctor, her shuffling feet pausing quickly. Raven stopped and listened for a long moment, the soft calls of birds echoing through the trees with an eerie otherworldliness that would leave her unsettled should she have been unaware that their presence indicated a lack of fauna in the area.

"Come. We must rest."

She pushed through a bush and ducked, the opening of the cave coming to her breastbone. They would not be able to stand, but the dry floor and remnants of an old fire indicated the safety of the location. She cast her eyes over the dim interior, gladdened to see that it had not become host to any of the beasts of the forest since she'd last been through this area.

"Cozy." Abby lowered herself to the dirt packed floor and leveled a stern look upon her protector. "Let me see it."

Raven rolled her eyes and lowered herself down beside her charge. "Are you always this much of a pain in the ass?" Her time around Skaiprisa had done much to expand her knowledge of gonasleng. Having heard the doctor described as such by her daughter, it did not surprise her to find the phrase as apt as she did.

"Only when my patients are as stubborn as you are." Abby pulled the jacket free from Raven's shoulder, her hands making quick work of freeing the clothing from the warrior's trim form. "Hmm. I need water."

"There's a hidden spring just outside. Keep your right hand on the mountain and walk forward."

A single eyebrow quirked at the convenience of their bolt-hole, retrieving a bottle and a length of linen from her bag. In a few short minutes, she returned. Without a word, she handed the bottle to Raven.

"Chof."

Taking a mouthful of the surprisingly clear water - Indra had apparently taken her last report to heart and had sent someone to clear the spring - Raven watched quietly as Abby set up a small flashlight. A frustrated exhalation from her companion quirked her lips in momentary amusement before the cloth began to run over her torn skin with broad, careful swipes. Once the dried blood was cleaned away, Abby shook her head.

""It's not as bad as it looked but you're still not going to have a fun time with this one."

Raven chuckled lowly and rested her head against the wall of the cave. "I'll manage."

Abby's cool fingers traced over the wound. "I don't want to stitch the inside. It's not too bad but if I go with internal on this one, I'm going to have to open you again to remove them."

Raven's hand flexed against her thigh. She stretched out her fingers, forcing her shoulders to relax. "You're the doctor."

A snort of wry amusement was the only reply she received as materials were brought out from the depths of the bag. "This is going to hurt."

"Trying to make me feel better?" Raven smirked at the flush that colored the pretty doctor's cheeks. "At least you're damned better looking than the splita who did this."

Abby remained silent. The flush that dusted her cheeks did not.

Raven smiled.

It disappeared quickly at at the first thrust of the needle through her skin and the sharp tugging to draw the sides of her wound together. She remained still, her dark eyes gazing firmly at the wall of the cave. She could feel the warmth of Abby's breath against the exposed skin of her side as she ducked low to view her task better. The pulling of the strong cord through her skin and sinew had her clenching her jaw against the grunt that ached just behind her teeth. Slow, steady breathing pulled at her side, the exposed wound burning strongly with an icy center.

Getting wounded in this way was never a favorite activity of hers. It was in large part why she spent so much time training. If she could slip beneath another's attack, or flip out of the way, she would not be the one harmed - they would. And she would not have the need for the services of a healer.

Still, this experience did much to reinforce to her that she was starting to slow. It would not be borne. She would prioritize redoubling her training. The recent months of relative peace had drawn her into a lull. Since the Skaikru had joined the coalition, the struggles had primarily been those of politics and diplomacy.

A particularly sharp tug at her side, followed by another swipe of the dampened cloth, pulled her forcibly from her thoughts. She glanced at Abby.

The woman was frowning slightly as she worked, a line furrowed between her brows as her hands made deft work of the needed task. Her tongue peeked out and moistened her lips and she reached for a dagger, quickly slicing through the excess cord.

"Ok." Abby released a breath. "I'm going to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get an infection. As long as that heals right, you'll be clear in a couple days. It'll take a week or two to fully heal."

Raven released a long breath, her hand reaching out and resting on top of Abby's. She gave a small smile in return to the worried look that greeted her. "So I take it post battle sex is off the table for tonight?"

Abby flushed to the roots of her hair. "I am not having sex with you in this cave."

"Pity. I've always wondered what your naked body would look like under the stars."

Abby covered her face with her hands. "Why did I ever agree to you?"

"You can't resist me." Raven reached over and tugged her lover into her lap. "Not that I blame you. I'm pretty irresistible."

"Shut up." Still blushing, Abby leaned forward and softly pressed her lips to those of her own personal champion. Raven hummed deep in her throat, her arms wrapped around the woman who enraptured her.

They may still have a journey that would take another week, and they may have a new threat to handle, but with those talented lips building a fire in her belly, Raven couldn't find a single thing to complain about.


End file.
